I’m in Hollywood

Chapter 296: Oscar (Part 1)

Eric was deep in thought, comparing and contrasting the various screen images of the three Europeans, while also searching for the figure of Isabelle Adjani.
If it weren't for the butterfly effect, then according to time, the actress who had won the French film industry's highest honor, the César Award, several times should have met and fallen in love with Daniel Day-Lewis last year.
However, now it's hard to say.

After a long time of searching, Eric still hadn't found Isabelle Adjani's figure, when the woman sitting next to him, Virginia, poked him in the side: “Eric, it's the award for Best Supporting Actress.”

Eric quickly shifted his attention to the stage, where the presenter for the award for Best Supporting Actress, Kevin Kline, had finished his introduction and had started announcing the nominees: “Nominated for this year's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress are Brenda Fricker, 'My Left Foot'; Anjelica Huston, 'Enemies, A Love Story'; Lina Olin, 'Enemies, A Love Story'; Julia Roberts, 'Steel Magnolias' and Diana West, 'Home Sweet Home'.”

As Kevin.
Kline introduced them, the nominees for the best supporting actress appeared one by one on the big screen behind him.
Although the movie “Enemy, A Love Story” had two nominations for the best supporting actress, Eric was slightly surprised.
However, Eric paid more attention to Brenda Fricker, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “My Left Foot.”

“My Left Foot” was the first very successful Oscar-chasing movie that Mira MacKs directed, which not only won the five nominations of best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best adapted screenplay, but also, Eric clearly remembered, Daniel Day-Lewis won his first Academy Award for Best Actor for this movie.

As for the other award results, Eric is not very clear.

Therefore, the nomination of “My Left Foot” for Best Supporting Actress is undoubtedly the greatest threat to Julia.

When the nominations for this year's Academy Awards were announced, Eric was still in the midst of the scandal and unable to focus on the public relations for the awards.
At the time, Disney, which distributed the film, was even less likely to do public relations for the film.
So now, all he could do was look and see if Robert Shaye, who has ten more years of film distribution experience than the Weinstein brothers, can defeat the Weinstein brothers in terms of award public relations.

Eric looked at Julia's image on the big screen, the woman was nervously staring at the stage, but her body was slightly tilted.
Eric curiously found Julia's position and looked over.
It turned out that the woman was leaning against Elizabeth next to her, and Eric could still see the two women's arms intertwined from the gap in the seat.
The strange feeling he had when he met them at the end of the red carpet came to mind again.

But before Eric had time to think more, Kevin.
Kline opened the envelope and announced: “The winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is Julia Roberts.”

The music and applause erupted simultaneously, and in the front row, Julia was surprised, covering her mouth and leaning back in her chair.
After a moment, she stood up with encouragement from those around her and hugged the cast of “Steel Magnolias” one by one before walking to the stage.

Although she didn't turn to look at him once during the whole process, Eric wasn't angry.
In fact, he felt a sense of relief.
At least this outcome proved that Robert Shea's abilities in award PR were not much worse than Wayne's brothers.

On stage, Julia carefully held her little golden man and finished her acceptance speech.
She walked off the stage with the award presenter, and the next round of irrelevant technical awards began.

A few minutes later, Julia walked out of the stage's left backstage exit and came over to the cast side.
Finally, she looked at Eric, her eyes filled with gratitude, but before Eric could respond, a white arm pulled her away and he saw Elizabeth turning her head, glaring at him fiercely.

“Eric, did you do something excessive again? Why do Julia and Miss Elizabeth both seem to have a problem with you?” Observing the reactions of the two women, Virginia asked in a low voice.

Eric scowled at Virginia, “Why do you say 'again?'”Do I often do something excessive?”

Virginia gave him a flirtatious roll of the eyes, “You tell me?”

Eric clenched his fists together.
Making a cracking sound, he said, “It seems that you have some opinions about me.
Hey, come to my place tonight and we'll discuss what these 'excessive things' you're talking about are.”

Hearing Eric's words, Virginia's face turned red.
She didn't refute him, although her place was very close to Eric's Pointed Manor, but so far Virginia had never been there.

When Eric just moved, the woman either went to her parents' place to spend the holiday together or was busy promoting “The Others” everywhere.
When he finally had some free time and returned to Los Angeles, Eric encountered that scandal again.

It had been several months since they last had any physical intimacy.
As a ripe woman like Virginia, to say she didn't want it would definitely be false.
However, due to Eric's previous words and Virginia's own Hollywood career, which had just begun to take off with “The Others,” Virginia didn't leave the idea of Eric.
In any case, the little man beside her, although sometimes detestable, was still very considerate most of the time.

As a series of technical awards such as Best Photography and Best Sound Effects were handed out, the ceremony slowly reached its climax.

After Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep presented the award for best photography together, the famous “Roman Holiday” male lead, Gregory Peck, went on stage.

Although Sigourney Weaver had just won nominations for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globe Awards for her roles in “Gorillas in the Mist” and “Working Girl”, Eric knew that it would be unlikely for her to win both categories at the Oscars, an award show that is known to be more conservative.
Even more so, at only 23 years old, Julia Roberts' chances of winning Best Supporting Actress and simultaneously receiving a nomination for Best Actress were slim.
The likelihood of that happening was even less likely than an alien invasion.

As Eric's thoughts drifted, Gregory Peck, the famous lead actor of “Roman Holiday,” had finished announcing the nominees for Best Actress.
Many media outlets had predicted that this year's Oscar winner for Best Actress would likely be Jessica Tandy, who had given an outstanding performance in “Driving Miss Daisy.” Tandy, an 81-year-old actress known as the “First Lady of Broadway,” had a brilliant acting career that was evident from her nickname alone.

Even if Jessica Tandy, who had just won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in “Driving Miss Daisy,” hadn't been nominated, Eric knew that Julia would not have won the award for Best Actress.
Another strong contender was Isabelle Adjani for her role in “Camille Claudel.” Hollywood often discriminates against foreign actors, but if Tandy hadn't been a strong competitor, the Academy would have likely given the award to Adjani.

On stage, Gregory Peck slowly opened the envelope and, in the tense silence, announced the winner: “The winner of the Best Actress award is Jessica Tandy.”

Applause erupted once again as the 81-year-old Tandy, known as “The First Lady of Broadway,” slowly stood up and made her way to the stage, surrounded by the cast and crew of “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Eric also looked toward the cast of “Driving Miss Daisy” like everyone else.
His gaze was fixed on Morgan Freeman, the male lead of the film.
Morgan Freeman, an old Hollywood veteran, began performing on stage at the age of eight, but his career had been rocky.
It wasn't until 1987, at the age of fifty, that Morgan Freeman made a name for himself in Hollywood and became known as the most legendary “inspirational guy” in Hollywood.

After Jessica Tandy's speech, she walked off the stage with the help of the guests.

Host Billy Cristal followed them and walked up on stage.
He silently watched as the figures of Jessica Tandy and her companions disappeared completely.
Only then did Billy Cristal turn to the microphone and, without making any jokes, said in a serious tone, “There is no doubt that 'Driving Miss Daisy' is a very excellent film, and it has also brought two very excellent actors to the forefront.
In addition to the lady who just left, Jessica Tandy, there is also Mr.
Morgan Freeman, who is sitting here with us.
Mr.
Morgan Freeman is 53 years old this year, and if we add in Jessica Tandy's age, then this pair of male and female leads, with an average age of 67, is definitely the film with the highest average age to win both the male and female lead Oscar in history.”

Billy Cristal finished speaking, and the audience immediately erupted in applause filled with respect.
Although Morgan Freeman still maintained a dignified posture, the excitement on his face was hard to hide.
After all, from the beginning of his own acting career to finally receiving recognition, the time span of several decades was truly too long.